Kill Shakespeare
Kill Shakespeare is a twelve-issue comic book limited series released by IDW Publishing. It was produced by Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery, who also served as co-writers, with Andy Belanger as artist, Ian Herring as colourist, and Kagan McLeod as cover artist. The first issue was published on April 14, 2010. A second series, the five-issue The Tide of Blood, is scheduled for release in 2013.All the world's a stage for Timmins native, by Benjamin Aubé, at the wikipedia:Timmins Daily Press; published December 23, 2012; retrieved January 20, 2013 Publication history The idea first came to Del Col and McCreery in 2005, however due to other commitments the project was put on hiatus. Originally Kill Shakespeare was intended to be a video game, the pair also contemplated using the idea for a movie as well. In 2009, the pair attended the New York Comic-Con and sparked interest in publishing companies, from whom they eventually chose IDW.http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/927 Kill Shakespeare #1 was released on April 14, 2010, and began the series' first story arc. The first story arc ran for a total of 12 issues, and concluded on August 24, 2011.Kill shakespeare #12 On November 9, 2010 IDW released a collected edition of issues #1-6 called, Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles.Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles The second collected edition of the Kill Shakespeare series, Kill Shakespeare Volume 2: The Blast of War, was released on November 22, 2011.Kill Shakespeare Volume 2: The Blast of War On October 11, 2012 IDW announced Kill Shakespeare's return in a new, five-issue, limited series titled, The Tide of Blood, which will continue the story of the first series.http://www.idwpublishing.com/news/article/2410/ The first issue of The Tide of Blood, was released on February 20, 2013.The Tide of Blood #1 Plot synopsis thumb|350 px|left|McCreery (right) with a reader at the [[wikipedia:Miami Book Fair International|Miami Book Fair International, 2011|]] Prince Hamlet is being banished with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern from his country of Denmark for the murder of Polonius . Before he leaves he takes one last look around his city and is confronted by a strange mist that tells him he should kill his uncle. Hamlet then denies that he's a killer and gets onto the ship headed for England. That night Hamlet has another encounter with the mist, the ship is then attacked by pirates. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are killed, but Hamlet manages to escape on a piece of the ship with a deceased sailor already on it. Hamlet then wakes up in a strange bedroom and meets Richard the Third. Richard tours Hamlet through his city showing him that he is building libraries and schools for them. He then asks Hamlet if he will help steal Shakespeare's quill because he is the only one who can find Shakespeare, in exchange Richard will resurrect Hamlet's father. Richard then demonstrates this by bringing the sailor that Hamlet was found with back to life.Kill Shakespeare #1 Hamlet agrees to join Richard's quest to find Shakespeare. Hamlet doesn't know how to find Shakespeare, then Iago asks him if he could just relax, that causes a path to appear in the woods. Richard's party go down the path and find themselves in a small village where they are attacked by a group called Prodigals. Richard hands him a knife to protect himself. That night Hamlet is almost killed by bandits but is saved by Falstaff who knocks him out and kidnaps him. Iago is sent to find Hamlet.Kill Shakespeare #2 Hamlets wakes up and Falstaff says he was trying to protect Hamlet from people trying to kill him. Hamlet tries to escape by creating another path, but can't. Falstaff offers to take him to a safer place through the woods. While they travel through the woods they meet Puck, Falstaff then reveals that he's a Prodigal. Hamlet tries to get away from Falstaff, but instead Falstaff takes him to a brothel. The bandits attack the brothel, Hamlet and Falstaff escape dressed as women. At the same time, Richard is attempting to create an alliance with Macbeth. Lady Macbeth kills her husband because she's in league with Richard.Kill Shakespeare #3 Hamlet and Falstaff meet up with Juliet Capulet and Othello, the leaders of the Prodigal Rebellion. Falstaff tells them that Hamlet is the "Shadow King" but they don't believe it. Richard's army attacks, Hamlet saves Juliet's life and then Iago saves both of them by attacking Tamora Andronicus, one of the bandits.Kill Shakespeare #4 Othello tries to kill Iago but Iago manages to talk him down. Hamlet tries to leave with Iago, but Juliet won't let him do that so she decides to make him her captive. Hamlet tries to escape with Iago late at night but Juliet catches them and Iago tells Hamlet to go by himself. Hamlet then meets with his father's ghost who turns into Polonius and then into Hamlet. Hamlet escapes and sees some of Richard's army torturing a group of Prodigals for information. Hamlet is found by Lysander, Demetrius and Adriana who want to join with Juliet's rebellion.Kill Shakespeare #5 Juliet, Othello, Iago and Falstaff meet up with Hamlet in a barn and they work on Adriana's farm for payment for hospitality. Later, they hold a meeting with several prodigals and the rebellion begins. Then, Richard's army attacks and the rebellion protects Juliet, Juliet begins to believe Hamlet is the Shadow King and Iago decides to join the rebellion. Later, Iago meets up with Lady Macbeth and begin to conspire.Kill Shakespeare #6 A troupe of actors led by Feste, arrive in the camp of the Prodigal Rebellion and put on a production of The Murder of Gonzago, with Hamlet on-stage. Hamlet is reminded of his father's murder and flees. Juliet chases him and they each relate their own personal tragedies, Hamlet's murder of Polonius and Juliet losing Romeo.Kill Shakespeare #7 Hamlet, Iago and Falstaff get ready to begin the search for Shakespeare. The night before they leave Juliet meets with Hamlet and they kiss. The next day they begin the journey, but they are stopped by a group of Paladins led by Romeo Montague.Kill Shakespeare #8 Hamlet uses his power to part the trees and shows the way to the The Globe Woods where Shakespeare lives. Hamlet goes in by himself and comes across Puck. Puck leads him to a house on the other side of a river. Hamlet tries to swim the river but then gets pulled down into the water by creatures made up of manuscript pages. At the same time, Iago contacts Lady Macbeth and tells her that Hamlet was killed, but he's discovered by Falstaff. They start to torture Iago to find out what he knows, Iago tells them that Hamlet will kill Shakespeare and not survive his meeting with Shakespeare. Hamlet manages to escape the monsters and finally meets Shakespeare who seems uninterested in doing anything with the Prodigals or Hamlet. Hamlet throws aside his knife which then begins to move by itself and then tries to kill Shakespeare.Kill Shakespeare #9 Characters Hamlet After his Father the King is murdered by Hamlet's Uncle the young Dane vowed revenge. However, after killing family friend Polonius with a blow meant for his Uncle, The Prince questions his thirst for vengeance and flees Denmark. Still haunted by his father's ghost, confused and distraught, Hamlet is now caught up in a destiny far greater than he could have ever imagined. Richard III One of the most powerful and shrewd generals in the land, Richard oversees a growing nation built on the backs of his serfs. Along with his desire to create a legacy through the glorification of his name Richard seeks to crush all opposition and conquer further kingdoms. He has formed a temporary alliance with Lady Macbeth after her betrayal of her husband, but can he trust her? Lady Macbeth Beautiful and ruthless, Lady Macbeth has an unmatched thirst for power. Using her sexuality—and three witches as her council—she subtly steered her husband's rise to prominence. But with Lord Macbeth locked in a battle with Richard III the time was ripe for the Lady to step out of her husband's shadow. She drugged her husband's mead and walled him up in his Cawdor castle. However, will her own ambition lead her to discard Richard in his turn—and can she trust him not to betray her? Iago After fleeing from Othello's side Iago quickly attached himself to Richard III. Using wits and treachery the Spaniard efficiently moved up the ranks and is now one of Richard's most relied-upon deputies. But the corrupt influencer continues to play the odds, a charlatan who can easily change his allegiances—and does. Falstaff A wonderful pain-in-the-ass, Falstaff is quick with both the jab and the jibe. While he plays the quintessential fool he possesses more wisdom and heart than most. A man of faith, Falstaff is unshakeable in his belief in Shakespeare as Creator. Othello After he was unable to kill Iago in vengeance for Desdemona's death, Othello became a hired mercenary, but now leads the Prodigals resistance movement at the side of Juliet. He still hungers for revenge against his old adversary Iago, but has restrained himself thus far. Juliet Her Capulet relatives spirited her away from Verona after she survived her attempted suicide. Witnessing injustice and oppression, and believing her 'lost love' Romeo is dead, she assumes the role of Prodigals resistance movement co-leader, and proves herself a courageous warrior. Romeo However, unknown to Juliet, Romeo has also survived his own attempted suicide, back in Verona, and attempts to make amends by joining the Knights Paladin, who seek to aid the Prodigals resistance to Richard III and Lady Macbeth. Hamlet knows who Romeo is, but he has not yet told him that his former love is also still alive. Incidental characters Thus far, these include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet), Puck, Demetrius and Lysander (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and Tamora and Titus Andronicus as either bandits or mercenaries of uncertain affiliation. Furthermore, Mistress Page and Mistress Ford now run a brothel and are eager to renew their acquaintance with their old friend Falstaff. In Issue # 7, the travelling players enact The Murder of Gonzago, the same mise en abyme play used to provoke King Claudius into disclosing his guilt over the murder of Hamlet's father in Hamlet. Enchanted objects Shakespeare's quill This quill gives the user the ability to change reality. Most of the characters want the quill for themselves. It is unknown what it looks like or if it really is a quill. The dagger In ancient Rome, the dagger was given by Hecate to Brutus to kill Caesar with.Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: Bonus Gallery The Dagger is first used by Lady Macbeth in the raising of a sailor. Richard then gives the dagger to Hamlet. Later, it turns out that the dagger can move by itself and also lets Lady Macbeth see through its reflection. The Dagger then tries to kill Shakespeare while Hamlet is talking to him Collected editions Reception Shakespearean actor and writer of Shakespeare on Toast Ben Crystal opined that the comic was "beautifully drawn", elaborating that it "reminds me of Hellboy, particularly the ghosts and witches. It looks great, has a good pace, and is exciting to read." Crystal offers room for improvement, "The language is a bit of a tricky one. For the most part, it works well. There’s an error here and there... but those aside, I think it falters when the writer tries to attempt a mock-Shakespearean style." George Gene Gustine of The New York Times called the series "gripping, violent and dark fun, even if you’re not fully versed in Shakespearean lore", while Fangoria called it "a highly enjoyable adventure," saying that "McCreery and Del Col skillfully juggle a Who’s Who assortment of characters, and Belanger places them in stylishly imagined backdrops on every page". Shakespearean scholar Kimberly Cox, partner of well-known comic creator Frank Miller, criticized the book, primarily taking issue with its non-adherence to Shakespeare's well-known iambic pentameter style, stating, "Under duress and under a deadline, I can write exactly in the same meter and syntax as the Bard. It’s not so difficult once you study enough of the text". Cox also noted that the comic is "so poorly done, so flawed on even the most elementary levels of story-telling". Adaptation The first twelve issues of Kill Shakespeare were adapted into a live staged reading format in 2011 by Del Col, McCreery, and dramaturg Toby Malone at Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto. The first full-length showing was part of 'The Word Festival,' which in 2011 focused on the works of Shakespeare. The success of this production led to further development and showings at comic-book conventions in Montreal,'Kill Shakespeare': A comic book where the superpower is literary wizardry by Nelson Wyatt, from wikipedia:The Canadian Press; published September 14, 2012; retrieved January 20, 2013 New York,A Human Superstar Among the Superheroes, by George Gene Gustines, at The New York Times; published October 11, 2012; retrieved January 20, 2013 and Halifax;Kill Shakespeare comic book art brings Bard alive, by Elissa Barnard, at wikipedia:the Chronicle-Herald; published October 31, 2012; retrieved January 20, 2013 as well, general-audience performances have been produced in Halifax[http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/kill-shakespeare-kills-it/Content?oid=3460947 Kill Shakespeare kills it: A memorable and entertaining adaptation of a famed graphic novel series.], by Kate Watson, at wikipedia:The Coast; published November 1, 2012; retrieved January 20, 2013 and Tucson.City Week: Shakespeare in the Comics, by Inés Taracena and Mariana Dale, at the wikipedia:Tucson Weekly; published September 06, 2012; retrieved January 20, 2013 Future planned productions include dates in Toronto, Chicago, and Dubai. Notes References * External links * * Interviews * * * * * Reviews *[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=user_review&id=2115 Review: Kill Shakespeare #1], Comic Book Resources *[http://comics.ign.com/articles/108/1083931p1.html Kill Shakespeare #1 Review], IGN *AICN Comics Reviews: Brightest Day! Kill Sahkespeare! Irredeemable! Hotwire! & Much More!, AICN Comics *[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/127173367556826.htm Kill Shakespeare #1 Review], Comics Bulletin *Best Shots Comic Reviews: FLASH, SIEGE: LOKI, More, Newsarama *[http://www.craveonline.com/entertainment/comics/article/kill-shakespeare-1-review-99973 Kill Shakespeare #1 Review], CraveOnline *[http://www.comicsbulletin.com/reviews/127436841184746.htm Kill Shakespeare #2 Review], Comics Bulletin Category:Adaptations of works by William Shakespeare